Puppy vaccinations

Yorric

Well-Known Member
One for the vets & experienced dog breeders.

For large breed gun dogs - for the best all round immunization -
What is the most appropriate brand of vaccine & when is it best administered/

I'm getting different inputs from different vets - some say first dose at 7 weeks, some say not before 9 or even 10 weeks, & that it depends on the vaccine used. All seem to say second doses two weeks on.

Recommendations / discussion welcomed. - Including kennel cough.

Ian
 
I don't believe any brand is inferior or superior to another. Different manufacturers have different advice on their data-sheets that they used to get the product licence - hence the different timings. That is further complicated by outside bodies offering guidance of dog vaccination eg WSAVA.

When it comes to timing we have two conflicting issues; getting an early finish to the course so the puppy can get out and socialise and letting the antibodies the puppy received from it's mother decline sufficiently to allow the vaccine to 'take'. Early socialisation has been shown to be beneficial to the puppy. Vaccinating a puppy very young, with many antibodies in circulation from the monther will neutralise the vaccine and the puppy will not have the chance to make a decent immune response.

We use Merial vaccines and the vaccine is licensed with a 12 week finish and 3-5 weeks between injections, we recommend 9 and 12 weeks. I do really worry that some courses ending as early as 10 weeks may not be fully effective. The first annual booster is VITAL and must be given accurately at 12 months of age as is really part of the initial course.

If you are keen to get the puppy out and socialising early (finishing the course as early as 10 weeks) then I would advise a 3rd injection at 16 weeks old (and always do in black and tan dogs due to an increased risk of parvo-virus).

Kennel cough vaccine can be started from 3 weeks of age and would be prudent. My dog is vaccinated for kennel cough. There is an outbreak of kennel cough in working dogs in this area currently. Kennel cough can be done alongside other vaccines and as it goes up the nose, there are no issues with maternally derived antibody.

Go to your normal vets and do what they say. There is no merit to hunting around for a 'better' brand of vaccine.
 
Apache.

Are you using the l2 or l4 lepto vacc? And which would you recommend, along with reasons if you dont mind. We are now ensuring ours are all done with the L4, but I am interested in as many opinions as possible.

Mike
 
MSD (the drug company) have made a big thing about their L4 vaccination being better than the other lepto vaccines. I do agree there are more species of lepto covered in the L4 vaccination. I have seen a number of dogs with leptospirosis, but I've never seen a properly vaccinated dog (with any vaccine) with lepto! There is some degree of cross protection provided by all these vaccines.

We get better support from Merial so we use their vaccines.

In human medicine they are strongly discouraged from making decisions based on drug company propaganda. Until I am presented with good evidence the lepto vaccine we are using is inferior we will carry on as we are. If such information becomes available (from reliable independent sources) or we see animals with lepto using our vaccine, we may reconsider our choice of vaccine.
 
Apache
Many thanks for your (as always) balanced concise & informative reply to my OP. It has cleared up in my mind a slight confusion. I will trust my vet!
My litter of pups will be ready for their new homes at 8 weeks. My vet will only administer Canigen at 10 weeks & 12 weeks. So I told my buyers this & advised them to talk to their vets - one replied that his vet said that they could immunise earlier & I just wanted to get a handle on it.
If I need to take any of the pups to the vets before the tenth week, I will ask them to administer a kennel cough vaccine as I've seen the effects of the cough - making immunized dogs ill & nearly killing some that were not protected.

Once again the SD is really valuable!!

Ian
 
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MSD (the drug company) have made a big thing about their L4 vaccination being better than the other lepto vaccines. I do agree there are more species of lepto covered in the L4 vaccination. I have seen a number of dogs with leptospirosis, but I've never seen a properly vaccinated dog (with any vaccine) with lepto! There is some degree of cross protection provided by all these vaccines.

We get better support from Merial so we use their vaccines.

In human medicine they are strongly discouraged from making decisions based on drug company propaganda. Until I am presented with good evidence the lepto vaccine we are using is inferior we will carry on as we are. If such information becomes available (from reliable independent sources) or we see animals with lepto using our vaccine, we may reconsider our choice of vaccine.

Thanks a very helpful reply. I appreciate the time taken for such a reply.
 
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